Airport medevac permit expires, future still in doubt

March 2, 2006

BEDMINSTER -- The owners of Somerset Airport have asked the township Planning Board to postpone until April the hearing on their application to convert a hangar to accommodate the state police's medevac operation, Planning Board Chairman Paul Henderson said.

The converted hangar would accommodate the New Jersey State Police NorthSTAR medevac operation, which had been based atop the University of Medicine and Dentistry hospital in Newark.

Henderson said the airport owners asked for the delay -- the hearing had been scheduled for tonight -- because they first must sort out whether the NorthSTAR medevac helicopter operation must move out all together.

A special-use permit that allowed New Jersey State Police pilots and the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey paramedics to work out of trailers on the property expired Tuesday. A UMDNJ spokeswoman said the trailers would be moved off the 200-acre property, and the medevac operation would relocate to the existing airport offices.

However, Henderson said the township engineer and zoning officer have said the medevac operation is not a permitted use for the airport offices. The airport owners are now seeking court action to keep the medevac operation.

Henderson said the Planning Board matter will likely be moved to the April 6 meeting.

Previous Planning Board meetings on Somerset Airport's plan have drawn scores of opponents.

By KARA RICHARDSON
Staff Writer